“Boy, you have no idea who you’re dealing with,” Bay Chin says. “You’d best crawl back to the sewer you came from. Like your father and mother before you.”
No. I widen my eyes as Royo turns red. He marches the short distance to Bay Chin. I think he’s about to attack, but he stops two feet away.
“Pick up a sword,” Royo says. “Or let’s finish this with our bare hands, man to man.”
Bay Chin smiles. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Coward!” Royo yells. “Fight me now or get on your knees and beg forgiveness for your crimes.”
General Vikal watches, but she doesn’t interfere, content to see how this plays out. I’m not. Not when General Salosa watches him with keen eyes. Royo has chest armor on, but his head and neck are exposed.
“Royo, please.” I step closer to him.
He’s breathing hard, ready to swing regardless of whether Bay Chin consents to fight, but then he finally looks at me. Royo sighs, some of his anger fading. He spits at Bay Chin’s feet and then turns around.
My heart swells as he takes a step toward me. He is choosing love over his chance at revenge. He is choosing me.
But there’s motion behind him. General Salosa unsheathes his sword while Royo’s back is turned. And Bay Chin is smiling.
No!
The sword rises. I go to grab my amulet, but it’s fused to me. I don’t know how to stop time now. I don’t know if I even can.
I throw my arm out for Salosa to stop. Fear pools in my stomach. I can’t do anything. I’m going to watch him cut down Royo. He’s going to die in front of me. I can’t save him. I can’t kill Salosa or Bay Chin, as much as I want to. And gods, how I want to see them dead.
All of a sudden, the ring glows. A bright gleam of gold fills my eyes, illuminating the entire isle. General Vikal and the priests shield their eyes, but it doesn’t bother me. Because I realize what is happening.
I hear the screams I want to hear. And then the quiet of nothing at all.
When the glow fades, Bay Chin stands with his hands out and General Salosa with his sword swung back to strike, but they have been turned into solid gold.
Royo drops to his knees, trying too late to get out of the way of Salosa’s blade, but it’s not necessary. They’re already dead.
He looks behind him. Shock and horror wash over his face, and then he stares at me. But I don’t feel a thing. I did what I had to do, whatever it took, to save him. I’d happily do it again.
Power surges through me, more than before. It feels like the relics are begging to be used again. I don’t feel exhaustion or the pain that Euyn obviously experienced. This is something else.
But then the ground rumbles as the sea begins to fall.
My mouth falls open as water starts flooding the space that had been dry, beginning at the entrance to the harbor. They’re blocking off our means of escape. By now, everyone must realize that I have the ring, and they are coming to take it. Even the Weian general and the priests turn toward me.
And then I realize my mistake: by saving Royo, I may have just doomed us all.
Instead of feeling panicked, though, I am calm.
“A single step closer and you will wind up like them,” I say.
Luhk translates.
The Weian general puts xer hands out, and the priest takes a step back.
I look at the soldiers running around the royal warships and the Water Scepter wielder who is closing off the path. I tilt my head.
Aren’t they at all tired of being powerless?
I am.
I am so tired of not being safe. So tired of being a player in a game I didn’t design. I feel Quilimar’s rage, Sora’s. Mine.
